Lymph Node Biopsy results

The results are in. A small amount of cancer was found in the removed sentinel lymph node. This post will be purely informative for anybody seeking information. Feelings will come in a later post.

The recommended route now is a lymphadenectomy of my groin whereby all the lymph nodes - 15 or so - in my right groin area will be removed.  Prior to the operation, I will have a full body CT scan to look for secondary metastasis, and I will have a pre-op as per last time - bloods, urine sample, blood pressure and so on.

The operation will be performed within the government's 31-day target. It is performed under general anaesthetic and will last for approximately 3 hours. I will need to stay in hospital for 2-3 days and will have a drainage tube attached for 2-3 weeks. The tube will be stitched in to prevent it falling out, and its purpose is to essentially do the job of the nodes and drain lymph fluid out of my leg. As it heals, my body will create new lymph channels. When the tube is removed, there is a risk of lymphoedema, and there are no statistics on this as every case is different. 

This is a link to a video of the operation. The end of this video gives an idea of how the scar will initially look and where the drainage tube will sit.

After I am discharged, I will be allowed home and will be put on bed rest with my leg elevated to assist with drainage. The Macmillan nurse, Rachel, thought I would feel pretty crappy for a couple of weeks and would be in too much pain and discomfort to work from home. She anticipates it will be 4-6 weeks before I am ready to go back to work in the office. Whilst I have the tube attached at home, a nurse will come by and empty/change/check it. I haven't asked yet whether I can do this myself. Rachel has also given me a prescription dispensation form for me to fill in, so basically all prescribed medication for the next 5 years are free. I will likely be on a combination of pain relief and anti-inflammatories for a few weeks post-op.

The pathology lab will test the lymph nodes that are removed for signs of cancer. The registrar felt that, given such a tiny amount was found in the first, there is a 5% or less chance that they will find anything. On the 5% chance that cancer is found in any of the nodes then the next step will be radiotherapy to my leg.

I am now waiting for a date for the scan and the operation. So currently, I have stage 3a Melanoma.